Countdown to kickoff for JC Smith football expectations

DONALD WATKINS | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Johnson C. Smith running back Kamarro Edmonds, who rushed for 455 yards and four touchdowns on 86 carries last year, inherits the starting job with Quavaris Crouch’s move to linebacker. Edmonds’ 5.3 yards per carry average was best among Golden Bulls.

Johnson C. Smith hasn’t played in a CIAA football title game since 1972.

Or earned a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Both are reasonable expectations in 2025.

JCSU was a game within making those milestones last year before losses to Fayetteville State and Livingstone derailed an unbeaten season and left the Golden Bulls lamenting how an 8-2 record rang hollow at the worst possible time. There were positives – the program’s first national ranking, which reached No. 16 as well as a school single-season eight-game win streak and an eight-win campaign – tied for the best in program history – last reached in 1975. 

“We had so many things happen that were new to the school, the program, and things like that,” coach Maurice Flowers said at the start of spring drills in March. “It was just so good to see our young men just go through it, but at the same time, we didn’t conquer everything. We didn’t handle everything correctly. We didn’t handle maybe all of the press, maybe practices, or maybe something we didn’t handle in life, so what we’ve done is we’ve looked at ourselves. That’s the first thing – we look at ourselves. Let’s see where we get better, and let’s go get better.” 

On paper, the Golden Bulls are better. They upgraded at quarterback with transfer Kelvin Durham, an All-SIAC pick who played for Flowers at Fort Valley State. They beefed up the pass rush with defensive end Quentin Williams, a Mallard Creek High grad who played collegiately at Miami and Marshall to pair opposite All-CIAA Lamone Hill (23 tackles, 3.5 sacks in 2024). JCSU brought in Vincent Hill, an All-SIAC pick at Tuskegee who takes over for All-CIAA Jack Smith at middle linebacker. 

The offense is loaded with playmakers, starting with receiver Brevin Caldwell, who smashed Golden Bulls records for receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,090) in 2024. Deandre Proctor, who missed most of last season with an injury, returns. Running back Antonio Crim, a transfer from UNC Pembroke, adds depth to one of the CIAA’s top rotations with Kamarro Edmonds inheriting the starting role with second team All-Big 10 linebacker Quavaris Crouch’s move to defense.

The conference schedule includes road games rematches at Virginia Union, which won the CIAA title and a pair of games in the Division II playoffs last year, and Virginia State, which played the Panthers in the title game. The Golden Bulls also travel to Fayetteville State – a team Flowers hasn’t beaten in his three seasons at JCSU.

The home schedule includes national power Valdosta State and CIAA foes Winston-Salem State and Livingstone. The Golden Bulls are on a two-game win streak against WSSU for the first time since 1975 while the Livingstone game in the regular season finale, is a rematch of last year’s 15-10 Commemorative Classic loss to the Blue Bears that knocked JCSU out of the conference championship round. 

“The next step for this program is let’s be better than we were last year,” Flowers said. “We know we must do certain things, so that’s pretty much the motto, or the mantra that we’ve had, is let’s do things. Let’s do winning things and let’s go take the steps that we need to be a better team in ‘25 than we were in ’24. What does that include? It includes being better than 8-2. It includes a few other things.”

Like a push to the playoffs.

Comments